A small digital camera developed by scientists at Microsoft Research in
Cambridge could help treat short-term memory loss.
The idea is the
Sensecam
allows people to recall events while they view the pictures captured by the
camera. An entire day's events can be captured on a memory card and the images
downloaded to a PC.
Software developed by
Microsoft
Research's Sensor and Devices group convert the pictures into a short movie
that displays the images at up to 10 frames per second, allowing a day's events
to be viewed in a few minutes.
In one trial, a woman with memory loss caused by an infection could recall 80
per cent of events six weeks after they happened.
Emma Berry, a neurophysiologist who works as a consultant to Microsoft, said:
"Not only does Sensecam allow people to recall memories while they are looking
at the images, which in itself is wonderful, but after an initial period of
consolidation, it appears to lead to long-term retention of memories over many
months, without the need to view the images repeatedly."
Originally developed as a memory aid for healthy people, it is now in
clinical testing for those with memory impairment, such as dementia. It could
even provide some hope for people in the early stages of Alzheimer's.
Sensecam is worn around the neck and automatically takes a wide-angle,
low-resolution photograph every 30 seconds. It contains an accelerometer to
stabilise the image and reduce blurriness, and it can be configured to take
pictures in response to changes in movement, temperature, or lighting.
Steve Hodges, manager of the Sensor and Devices group at Microsoft Research
UK said that the wide-angled lens means users don't have to point the camera at
anything and it captures most of what the wearer can see.
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